Humanitarian Futures: Gender, Displacement, and Justice Fellowship

Final date to receive applications

February 9, 2026

The Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) invites applications for an 8-month research fellowship designed to support mid-career researchers exploring critical questions at the intersection of gender, displacement, and humanitarian systems. This program centers the leadership and knowledge of displaced women and seeks to generate research that challenges conventional humanitarian approaches and promotes inclusive, feminist alternatives.

Fellows will receive financial support, research guidance, and opportunities for peer learning and collaboration with WRC staff, and a cohort of fellow researchers.

Program Duration
: 8 months (March 2026 - October 2026)

Fellowship Support Includes
:

• Research Stipend
• Research support from WRC staff
• Peer learning and cohort support
• Opportunities to present findings at convenings and publish through WRC platforms

We are seeking early- to mid-career women researchers who:

• Have completed or are currently enrolled in a graduate degree (Master’s or PhD) in a related field (International Studies, Political Science, Gender Studies, Public Health, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.) and have 3–10 years of research experience
• Have lived experience of displacement, forced migration, or statelessness
• Demonstrate commitment to participatory, community-centered research methodologies
• Have experience working with or conducting research in displacement, migration, or humanitarian contexts
• Are fluent in English

Women are encouraged to apply even if they do not meet all listed eligibility requirements.

Ideal candidates will also:

• Have experience translating research into policy influence and advocacy
• Have strong skills in writing for various audiences and stakeholders
• Be proficient in MS Office Suite and qualitative or quantitative data analysis software
• Bring a gender justice lens to their work

Fellows will pursue original research on one of the following themes, or propose an alternative topic aligned with WRC's mission and priorities, or explain their own area of research that is outside the list below.

• Redefining Protection
  :
  How do women define safety, dignity, and autonomy in displacement—and how can these definitions reshape humanitarian protection and GBV frameworks?

• Gender, Power, and Systems Change
  :
  What does a feminist, decolonial, and community-driven humanitarian system look like in practice? What community-built or culturally rooted approaches to humanitarian response are emerging—and how might they offer scalable alternatives to traditional humanitarian aid?

• Reproductive Health and Bodily Autonomy
  :
  How are displaced and migrant women and girls accessing and experiencing reproductive health care in humanitarian settings, and what does true bodily autonomy look like in crisis contexts? How can humanitarian systems better support community-driven approaches to contraception, maternal health, abortion care, menstrual health, and informed decision-making?

• Dignified and Gender-inclusive Self-reliance
  :
  What are the key barriers and enablers for displaced women to secure sustainable and dignified self-reliance across different displacement settings? What are best practices from policy or practice that can be replicated?

• Rights and Justice
  :
  The impact of national laws, policies, and government practices on advancing or regressing protection, justice, and self-reliance for displaced, stateless, and migrant women

WRC particularly welcomes research focused on displacement (including returnees), statelessness, and migration in Afghanistan/Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central America, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Rohingya population (Bangladesh/Myanmar), Sudan, and Syria.

Application Requirements

Please submit the following materials by February 9th, 2026
:

Your statement of interest should include:

• Brief biography (200 words max.)
• Why you are interested in this fellowship (300 words max.)
• How this fellowship aligns with your professional goals and personal experiences (300 words max.)

2. CV/Resume (maximum 3 pages)

3. Research Proposal (maximum 1,500 words)

Your proposal should include:

• Research question(s):
  What do you wish to explore?
• Significance:
  Why does this research matter? How does it advance gender justice in displacement contexts?
• Methodology:
  What research methods will you use? How will you center community knowledge and ensure ethical, participatory approaches?

If proposing an alternative research topic (not listed above), please provide a clear rationale for how it advances WRC's mission.

4. Two Writing Samples

Please submit two examples of research or analytical writing (published or unpublished) where you are the sole or lead author. These may include: journal articles or book chapters; policy briefs or reports; dissertations or thesis chapters; analysis or commentary pieces.

At least one writing sample should demonstrate your ability to conduct…